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There and back again pic.twitter.com/Ll7wg2hL1G

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 22, 2015

The company has previously attempted the feat three times, coming close to landing on a bullseye on a floating barge. Tonight was the first time the company attempted to land the Falcon 9 on land.

The landing is a huge victory for Musk and his team, who were sidelined after the explosion of the Falcon 9 rocket in June as it carried the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.

The upgraded Falcon 9 stands slightly taller than predecessors at 229.6 feet and has more thrust.

Last month, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin successfully launched a rocket to a test altitude of 329,839 feet and then landed it near the launch pad in Texas.

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